Just A Hint
by Esmeia
Summary: A collection of short drabbles that center around my personal favorite pairings of the show. Features many different pairings.
1. A Close One

**A Close One**

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_Author's Note:__ I like doing these little drabbles once in a while. Sometimes, I just zero in on a scene that reminds me of a ship and I go for it._

_So, I've went ahead and decided to combine all these shipping drabbles into one story! I think that's a lot better than having a lot of different, short one-shots separately. Some of these will involve a scene seen directly in the series, others will be original little situations with no tie-in in particular! I might take little suggestions and stuff, but keep in mind that I'm only doing ships I like or ones that make sense to me._

_This one is implied Peppunil. Takes place in "Dumb Dumbwaiter"._

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

"Man, this is the life, ain't it?" Vinnie Terrio was saying to his two friends as he lazily hung from a high perch on one of the various scratching posts. "No bossy girls around to tell us what to do!"

Sunil glanced over at him, swiping at a hanging bouncy toy that had captured his attention. He dropped the small snack he had been previously munching on and sighed. "Hm, yes, this _ain't_ the life, of this I am certain. Bossy or not, I do miss the girls," he said, leaning over and grabbing onto the toy for support. His thoughts gravitated to a certain spunky skunk that was off on a Girl's Night Out with the other females of their group.

He thought of her cheerful and cheeky personality, that contrasted so much with his own shy and easily-spooked one. Sure, she seemed to relish in teasing him relentlessly. Yes, it sometimes irked him and made him question why he was her favorite victim out of everyone else. But in truth, he just appreciated that Pepper seemed to take any notice of him at all, that she considered him a valued friend just like any other... that he was a part of her world. He missed her something terrible, even though she had only been gone for a couple of hours. What he wouldn't give to hear her crack another ridiculous, corny joke!

Russell watched his friend from his relaxed position on a beanbag, noting his dreamy expression with surprise. "Why?" he asked incredulously. Granted, he missed the girls a little too, but he wasn't going to just say so! No way!

Sunil's gold eyes widened at the unexpected question. "A-ha ha. Why, you ask?"

Vinnie and Russell raised their eyebrows expectantly, waiting for the mongoose's reply.

"U-Uh, well, that's... I... er..."

Sunil began to sweat profusely, his heart racing a mile a minute. Was it getting hot in there, or was it just him?

Why in the wide, wide world did he say that? What was wrong with him? He was supposed to act like the rest of the guys! Not go on and on about how much he missed the girls, one in particular, no matter how true it was! The little mongoose could just imagine all the teasing and humiliation he'd suffer if they knew the truth.

"That's, uh..." Sunil stopped batting at the toy and held out his arms defensively. "I don't know why, okay?! It just seemed like the right thing to say! For once, I wanted to appear sensitive and caring, is that so wrong!?" he blabbed on, shaking his green, scaly friend in a pleading manner, praying that his excuse was convincing enough.

Thankfully, it was.

"Pssh! Forget the sensitive stuff, Sunil," Vinnie dismissed, rolling his large eyes.

Sunil sighed in utter relief and tuned out his companions' conversation. _Thank goodness._

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

_Author's Note:__ Yeahh, I doubt I got that dialogue anywhere near right, but I'm too lazy to check out the episode right now. Close enough! XD_


	2. A Sweet Scent

**A Sweet Scent**

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_Author's Note:__ Another drabble starring my favorite ship. :'D_

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

Pepper Clark was on a mission.

There was only one pet in the entire shop that seemed to truly appreciate her... _unique_ brand of scent. Well, when she was in a good mood, anyway. And that was a certain blue mongoose with a fondness for magic tricks. That soft part of her, the one she carefully hid behind all of her relentless teasing, jokes, and wise-cracking, latched on to his compliments and kind words for dear life.

Why did that annoying, tiny part of her yearn to hear more of those kind words from him? Pepper didn't know; all she knew was that she wanted to hear more, however insignificant they may be realistically.

Pepper cheerfully hopped over in his direction with fresh determination. Sunil was busy practicing the old, well-known trick of pulling a rabbit out of his hat; and it succeeded, with a random and blissfully unaware Buttercream hopping out of it and away through the hole connecting the playroom to the Sweet Shop. Pepper didn't bother questioning it, though. She patiently waited until Sunil got over his initial shock and turned to her.

"Hello, Pepper. How can I help you?" he asked politely, turning a page in his magic book.

"Uh..."

Darn. Now that she was actually _here_ in front of him, what did she want to say? Where was her plan B? Honestly, she couldn't just ask him to give her a compliment! How desperate and embarrassing would that be!?

"Hey! For a while, Houdini used a lot of trap doors in his acts, but~" she started eagerly.

Sunil looked at her expectantly, a small smile on his face. Just his interest in her joke seemed to spur her on.

"He was just going through a _stage! _Pu-ha-HA!" Pepper laughed, cracking up at her own joke. Sometimes, she slayed herself. "Get it?"

Sunil looked on blankly. "Ah... er..."

"B-Because it's on a stage, and – it's a play on words, and... a-ahem..." Pepper blushed, her enthusiasm dissipating in an instant. Sunil looked on, clearly not understanding the punchline. _Well, this is totally embarrassing! Do something, Pepper!_

"E-Er... Hey! Wanna see me juggle? I'm getting really good at it too! Check me out!" Pepper picked up a few toys lying around and began to juggle them easily, adding more to the moving arch every few seconds. Sunil looked on in amazement and admiration. _Yes! You've got him, girl._

Unfortunately, she lost her concentration and one of the items she was juggling fell down and bopped her on the head smartly. She stumbled back and lost her balance, seconds later being buried in the previously airborne collection of toys. Sunil gasped and hurried to her side, plucking a rubber chicken off of her head. Pepper's eyes swiveled around in her head as she sat in a daze.

"Pepper! Are you okay? Anything broken?" he asked urgently, checking her for any signs of injury with a look of pure concern and worry.

Pepper's ears drooped in disappointment. This was not going at all like she planned. Why couldn't she just talk to him? Why was she so afraid of letting him know how much she liked him? Why couldn't she just act like any other girl? It was pathetic, she knew, but something always prompted her to try and reach out to him, even if she made a fool out of herself in the process. She was beginning to hate that part of herself.

"I'm fine, don't have a cow," she assured him with a small, calming smile. Sunil took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. "Guess I'm not a very good comedian if even _that_ didn't get a laugh out of you, huh?" Pepper added with a nervous laugh, hoping to leave with at least a _little_ of her dignity still in tact.

Sunil raised an inquiring brow. "Don't be ridiculous. You're the funniest skunk I know. No, the funniest pet I know..." He paused, blushing slightly. Pepper smiled brightly, her heart doing little pitter-patters at his encouraging words. "But you don't need me to tell you that, do you?" he asked, coughing slightly.

A sweet, soothing scent filled the air and the blue mongoose couldn't help but eagerly inhale the sweet and familiar fragrance of freshly baked cookies and something... vaguely familiar. An Indian incense, perhaps? A unique fragrance that was unmistakably from his home country. He looked down at her curiously. What did that mean, he wondered?

"Nah, you don't have to say that, Sunil. It just... makes me really happy when you do."

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading! I can't stop myself from drawing and writing Peppunil fluff. XD_


	3. Contagious

**Contagious**

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_Author's Note:__ Okay, I went on an episode-watching marathon of the shows I recorded (the only one I'm missing is Penny For Your Laughs, so I hope it reruns soon!) and I found some more little interactions that interested me! This is from the first part of the debut episode._

_This time around, it's Pennussell (Russell/Penny Ling). Honestly, this doesn't even compare with my love and interest in Russinka, but I do think it's a rather cute ship nonetheless._

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

Russell shook his head in annoyance as he watched his six friends sing and dance in front of the mysterious new human girl in the room. As usual, they didn't seem to want to listen to his words of wisdom and stop the nonsensical show. From the horrified and disbelieving expression on the young girl's face, Russell could tell that she was just as unnerved by the whole thing as he was.

"Guys, I really think we should stop," Russell tried once again, walking towards the little singing dog zoned out in the center of the room. "Zoe, could you please – "

"_We're the littlest, littlest pet shop pets. We're the littlest, littlest pet shop pets..."_ Zoe continued to belt out, her eyes closed as she felt the rhythm only she could feel.

Russell sighed and smacked a tiny paw against his forehead. "Oh, forget it. What's the use?"

The small hedgehog, knowing he was beat, folded his arms and pouted slightly. Just because he couldn't stop them from singing and dancing like fools, didn't mean he had to like it! Nope, not one bit.

He felt someone come nearer and he paused in his stewing, looking over his shoulder. There was their newest day-camper, Penny Ling, spinning around gracefully without a care in the world. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her nearly flawless movements; usually, the panda bear could be just as clumsy as their other resident dancer, Vinnie Terrio, but now... well, she took to the art of dance like a duck to water. Like she was born to be one.

She stopped in mid-twirl and smiled down at him as she joined in with the chorus. Her bright and eager expression seemed all for him in that one little moment...

Just for him, the uptight Russell Ferguson.

Was that a coincidence? Most likely, he figured. But what wasn't a coincidence was the small smile that fought through his foul mood, the tapping of his tiny foot to the rhythm, and the wiggle of his hips as he started to join in.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Thank you for reading! As a question to my fellow writers and fans of LPS, what ships do you like the most?_


	4. Bumping Into You

**Bumping Into You**

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_Author's Note:__ Alright, this one is still working off of a scene in the debut episode, when Vinnie fell over Penny Ling. Does anyone else notice how he seems to fall over her a lot? I really love the idea that he might be doing it, at least sometimes, on purpose. XD_

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

Sparkly, flowing ribbons seemed to have a life of their own as their owner twirled and spun around in time to the soft, melodic music. Penny Ling truly showed how much she loved the art of ribbon dancing as she performed in front of their new, bewildered visitor, Blythe Baxter.

Vinnie couldn't help himself; he hopped up from his sitting position (ignoring the wary looks of his friends, Russell and Sunil) and began to tap dance awkwardly. Sure, he knew the kind of dancing he was doing was completely mismatched combined with the gentle Chinese melody. Yet, music just did something to him! It made him want to get up and put his all into the rhythm. Music was his life, truly. He closed his eyes and smiled as he tore up his imaginary dance floor.

_BAM!_

He blinked. How the heck did he end up on the floor? Again?!

The soft, violet fur pressed his body made him look up and smile mischievously. He had landed right in the lap of Penny Ling, who looked just as surprised as he had been mere moments before.

The truth was, he had seen and kept her in his line of vision the whole time. His large, quick eyes couldn't help but pick up the slightest of movements. It was the way of a gecko, after all. But he didn't care. He never really seemed to mind crashing into the sweet, gentle panda. As long as everyone believed it was just his usual clumsiness, he was free to do so. At least, that's how he wanted it to be.

"Aw, Vinnie!" Penny Ling admonished lightly, placing her paws on her hips and giving him an exasperated look.

"Oops. Sorry, Penny Ling!" Vinnie said with a grin.

_Nope. Not sorry at all._

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

_Author's Note:__ Don't you just love Vinnie? Gotta love that little goofball. XD_

_Thanks for reading!_


	5. Helping Paw

**Helping Paw**

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_Author's Note:__ Another dose of Peppunil! Someone help me, I get too many feels from this ship._

_Still centered around the original two episodes! Part two, to be exact. I noticed that Pepper was beside Sunil when he was trying to pull a t-shirt over his big noggin and thought it was so funny and cute for some reason! XD_

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

Pepper smiled in contentment as she watched her best friends play and mess around with the clothes scattered around Blythe Baxter's bedroom floor. Excitement was all around as the pets were getting fitted for the outfits they would be wearing the following day at the fashion show intended to save Littlest Pet Shop.

Granted, Pepper wasn't all that interested in fashion, but Blythe just _got_ her. The funny, outlandish outfit she had made especially for her was a comedian's dream! It was a shame Blythe wouldn't let her try out the little gag flower more...

"M-Mrff... This shirt is a little – wah! – _small,_ isn't it?"

Pepper just looked on with an unreadable expression, hardly believing the scene in front of her. Her friend Sunil was trying his best to fit his melon-like head through the hole of a casual shirt, his arms flailing around comically in the sleeves. He wobbled uncertainly as he tried to push his body through, but to no avail. Pepper, miraculously, managed to resist bursting out in laughter and instead just grinned in amusement as she watched the banded mongoose struggle.

Why was everything he did so funny and oddly cute?

"These shirts are all too small, I am sad to say," Sunil continued in his muffled voice, nearly running into the wall as he stumbled about.

Pepper giggled as she quickly steered him away from any obstacles he was in danger of running into. "Sunil, dude, I don't think it's the clothes that's the problem."

"Oh? Then what could it be?" Sunil asked, honestly curious.

Pepper paused. _He's making it all too easy. Ah... I don't have the heart to break it to the poor guy, _she thought with a small chuckle._ I guess it's not good to poke fun __**all**__ the time._

"Ya know what? It just might be the shirt!" Pepper said, padding over to him. "Hold still, buddy, I've gotcha...!"

"Huh? W-Wait, Pepper – !"

With a hearty tug, Pepper forced the shirt down over his head. Sunil blinked several times as his copper eyes met the bright light in the room again after several minutes in dimness. After he was certain that no harm had been done, he smiled at Pepper gratefully. A part of him was actually relieved and very surprised that she hadn't tried anything funny. He was almost _sure_ she'd take the opportunity to make fun of him, yet...

"Whew! Many thanks, Pepper," Sunil said, rubbing his head bashfully.

"No problem!" Pepper beamed. She watched as he walked away to his guy friends. "Big head," she mumbled with a snicker.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Wee, I love creating anything involving this ship. I wanted to show how I personally see Pepper; a lot of the time, I see her teasing Sunil a lot, but not meaning anything by it and is almost always done out of lightheartedness. Though, I think she would start to pick up on his somewhat sensitive nature and know when to stop teasing him SO much. That's how I see it in my head, anyway. :'D_

_Thanks for reading!_


	6. Little Drama King

**Little Drama King**

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_Author's Note:__ This is still inspired by the first episode of the series. This one is implied Russell/Zoe, or Zussell, as I call it. I'm not really into this ship, seriously, but I think it's cute if done right and it's got a concept that I find rather interesting. Don't like it nearly as much as Zigby, but you get the idea. XD_

**xoxoxoxoxox**

Zoe Trent couldn't help but be absolutely dumbfounded as she watched their nerdy, normally boring leader (though she'd never admit him being the leader of the group in a million years) pour his little heart out to Blythe concerning the problems plaguing Littlest Pet Shop. His theatrics could darn near rival her own on her best day...!

A part of her was more than a little offended; there was only room for _one_ diva in this group and that was her! Where did Russell get off being so dramatic and expressive? That was her job! She had half a mind to interrupt their exchange and show him how it was _supposed_ to be done!

But another part of her was, dare she think it... _impressed_. Yes, impressed was the right word. Maybe even a little intrigued and pleasantly surprised at the unexpected trait they shared. Who would have thought that the quiet Russell Ferguson could be so expressive, entertaining, and excessive with his emotions?

Zoe watched with renewed interest as he finished his plea and slumped over the edge of the dumbwaiter, as if all of his energy had left him along with his pleas. After Blythe had vowed to try her best to help and accidentally let go of the rope, the pets plummeted down the shaft and landed painfully back on ground level. Assuring Blythe that no one was seriously hurt, the group tried to disengage themselves from the pile on the floor.

"Russell?" Zoe finally addressed him, pushing Pepper off of her tail in annoyance.

"Yes?" Russell replied, standing up gingerly and brushing himself off. "Messy, messy..."

"I had no idea you could be such a drama king," Zoe said bluntly, though she meant no harm by it. Russell's head snapped up in surprise. "Darling, it was actually very fun to watch," she added with a hint of admiration.

"Ha! Russell the drama queen!" Vinnie laughed, pointing at his chubby little friend. "Or should we call you a _diva_?"

"She said drama _king_, Vinnie," Russell snapped impatiently, folding his arms.

"Ah, so you admit to being on? HA!" Pepper guffawed, rolling on the floor laughing while holding her stomach.

Russell's cheeks burned brightly. Darn his attention to details! "It's not funny! Stop laughing! I am _not_ dramatic! Guys, stop it!"

But his friends continued to tease, taunt and laugh at his expense. Russell now regretted showing that rare side of him. If he was dramatic, the situation called for it, didn't it? He hadn't meant to go that far, but he just loved the Littlest Pet Shop, Mrs. Twombly, and his friends too much to not do everything in his power to keep them together. And here they were laughing at him. _Some gratitude._

Just as he was about to protest some more, Zoe stepped in front of him and barked, sharply and loudly. The other pets stopped in their laughter abruptly, surprised. She stuck up her nose in a haughty manner as she addressed them.

"Now that's quite enough! Russell may be a bit dramatic, but what's wrong with that?" she said defensively. "Thanks to him, dear Blythe has decided to lend a helping hand to our cause. Aren't you happy about that?"

At her words, previous expressions of amusement gave way to slight guilt and regret. Russell looked at Zoe in amazement as the group gave forth small apologies.

"I-It's alright. Really," Russell said with a shy chuckle. As the group began to resume their normal activities, he walked over to Zoe and placed a gentle paw on her back. "Thanks, Zoe."

"Not at all, darling," Zoe said with a dismissing wave of her paw. She gave him a wink. "Us drama kings and queens have to stick together, after all."

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ This was actually a lot of fun to write! This could easily just be seen as a friendship moment, and I like it that way._

_Thanks for reading!_


	7. Distraction

**Distraction**

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_Author's Note:__ Alrighty! This one's more of a one-shot than a drabble, but I've decided to store most of my little shipping shots in this batch. I've got to control myself better and stop stretching them to short stories like I've done before. XD_

_This has VERY SLIGHT Pennussell. Honestly, it's kinda cute, but I'm not much of a fan at all. I ship both Russell and Penny with different characters, but I my headcanon kinda favors the idea of Penny Ling having a slight crush on him when she first joined the group._

**xoxoxoxoxox**

She swung back and forth on her treasured tire swing, smiling cheerfully down at the busy hedgehog below. He looked up from his intense scanning of his ever-handy checklist. Usually, anyone who dared to break his concentration were in for either a lengthy lecture, or simply scowled at until they got the hint to leave him in peace. But not her. She was special. He returned her bright grin with one of his own. His green eyes seemed to light up as they met her twinkling blue pair.

Yes... she was clearly special. Anyone with working eyes could see it was true.

Penny Ling sighed glumly as she watched the pair from inside the small hollow of the red slide. It seemed she had started a tradition of hiding out in there whenever she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, away from any prying eyes.

And now was _definitely_ a time when she wanted to be alone.

Why was this happening? When did she get such feelings? She'd only been attending Littlest Pet Shop for a month or so and, somehow, the orange hedgehog had wriggled his way uncomfortably close to her heart. Yet it was clear that someone else had taken up the majority of _his_ thoughts as well; made him give her that special smile, made it clear to anyone paying attention that he was absolutely smitten with her.

Yes, Russell Ferguson had it bad for Minka Mark, Penny Ling's good friend.

_Oh dear. What should I do? _Penny Ling thought to herself as she bit her lip nervously. _What can I do? Should I even do anything...?_

Should she fight for him and disrupt the innocent scene taking place just a few feet away? But what right did she have, truly? Russell and Minka had met and known each other before she ever made an appearance. Who knew how long they had been such good friends? More importantly, both of them were _her_ friends; hurting Minka was the last thing she'd ever want to do, regardless of her own feelings. How would it feel to know one of your best friends moved in on someone you liked, way before you even knew her?

Besides, Russell had already made his choice. No words were needed. It wasn't necessary for Penny Ling to risk embarrassing herself and likely bursting out in tears. She was actually sort of... _lucky_, when she really thought about it. And who's to say her feelings couldn't, or wouldn't, fade, given time? Something told her she would get through this rather confusing stumbling block in her life. This crush of hers would never have to be revealed.

"Heya, Penny Ling! Whatcha doin' in here?"

Penny Ling jumped. How did she not notice the little gecko making his way up the slide!?

"Oh! Uh, hi Vinnie," she replied with a shy smile. "Sorry, you scared me a little."

"Aren't you always like that, though?" Vinnie replied teasingly. Penny Ling giggled; she knew he was referring to how scared and freaked-out she was on her first visit.

"Oh, ha ha. I wasn't _that_ scared, was I? On my first day, I mean," Penny Ling asked him, moving over so he could sit next to her. A friend was a welcome intrusion right about now.

He shook his head, grinning. "Nah, I'm just messin' with ya. Besides, you're probably tougher than you look. _Probably_," he added with a teasing laugh.

Penny Ling folded her arms and gave him a mock warning glare. "Hey! Pandas are a lot tougher than you think, Vinnie Terrio."

"Yeah? Maybe you're right," Vinnie said with a wink. The girl beside him was taller and bigger than him, after all. "Can you blame me, though? You're so cute, you'd forget that."

Penny Ling froze. "I... Y-You think I'm cute?"

"Well, yeah! Don't you get called that all the time?" Vinnie shrugged, not noticing the soft blush lighting up friend's cheeks. "I mean, everyone thinks so."

Her heart skipped a beat, further confusing the flustered panda. Why did her cheeks heat up? Why was she so happy, all of a sudden? What in the world was going on? One minute she was brooding and sad, the next she felt like she could walk on air! Maybe she was sick...?

"T-Thanks..." Penny Ling looked down at her writhing, slightly sweaty paws. His words made her happy; _he_ made her happy. It was so weird how Vinnie seemed to know just when she needed cheering up. "You're a lot sharper than anyone gives you credit for, Vinnie. You know that, don't you?" she said warmly, smiling down at him.

Now it was Vinnie's turn to blush. "Shucks. That's pretty cool of you to say. Most folks around here think I'm dumber than a rock," he admitted with a small sigh.

"Don't take it to heart," she replied, patting his shoulder fondly. "I think you're just great the way you are. Don't ever change."

Vinnie looked up at her, deep purple orbs meeting matching, lighter ones. He searched them for any sign of sarcasm, teasing, or general ridicule... and he saw none. All he wanted to do was make her feel better; he had picked up on her feelings for his friend, Russell. It wasn't exactly hard for anyone to see, himself included. But it was also equally obvious that ol' Rusty had eyes for their bubbly little monkey. Vinnie wanted to check up on Penny to be sure she didn't take it too hard, but it seemed she was coping just fine. It made him a little proud to see she was made of tougher stuff than he had originally thought.

But he wasn't expecting her to show so much appreciation towards him. Was it truly possible that Penny Ling meant what she said about him? All of these questions, thoughts that made his insides fill with little butterflies, were too foreign and new for him to entertain at the moment.

"Uh, h-hey! W-Want to watch something on that... uh... electric box-thingy... with the moving pictures?"

"The T.V.?" Penny Ling supplied helpfully.

"Yeah! That, ha ha," Vinnie replied eagerly. "I know you like dancing. There's this totally awesome show on there and I never miss an episode!"

"Sure! I'd love to," Penny Ling happily accepted, standing up and offering her hand to him. Vinnie took it and lead her out and down the slide. "I'd like that a lot."

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading! I just really adore VinnieLing. Hope I can find the inspiration to write some more!_

_I have this little sketch I did of them somewhere in my storage, so maybe I'll share that sometime after I color it!_


	8. Protective

**Protective**

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Another thing for the Pennussell shipping. Inspired by the episode "Penny For Your Laughs"._

**xoxoxoxoxox**

The tears just wouldn't stop flowing. No matter how much the little panda bear told herself to toughen up, it seemed the steady flow of tears had a mind of their own as they relentlessly ran down her cheeks. Penny Ling sobbed pitifully as she sat on the slide, her friends crowding around her in an effort to console her.

"Penny, darling, please don't cry!" Zoe somewhat shouted, barely audible over her friend's sobbing. "Pepper didn't mean anything by it."

"Agreed," said Sunil emphatically, glancing back at the remorseful form of their skunk friend. "Sometimes she just gets a little... carried away," he said delicately. "Do not take it to heart, Penny Ling."

"I-I know – b-but – !" Penny wailed loudly, twin waterfalls pouring from her eyes and drenching those around her.

After the deluge had passed, Sunil sighed irritably and tossed away the useless, water-logged umbrella.

Russell looked on uncertainly; Penny Ling had to be the most sensitive and easily-hurt pet he had ever met in his entire life. Admittedly, Pepper's new style of comedy _had_ gone too far, what with her using offensive remarks to get a laugh out of her audience. More importantly, he had _warned_ her about hurting someone's feelings! Why did she have to be so hardheaded? But now the damage was done, and Penny Ling was left hurt and tearful... Just what he was afraid of.

He smiled kindly and patted her back soothingly. "Come now. It's alright. Pepper's one of your best friends, right?"

"R-Right..." Penny Ling sniffled, looking down at the shorter animal. "She is... but..."

"I know she hurt your feelings," Russell said sympathetically, nodding his head. "But there was no ill will behind it. You know that."

"T-That's true," she responded reluctantly, swiping at her tear-streaked face. "You're right. I know you are."

"I usually am," Russell said jokingly. Penny Ling couldn't fight the smallest of smiles. "Ah, there. That's what I like to see," he said encouragingly.

Penny Ling blushed and writhed her little paws shyly. The stout hedgehog may have been a little awkward and seemingly unapproachable at times, but he always knew how to cheer her up and make her see the bright side of things.

"Thank you, Russell. I feel a lot better now – thanks, all of you, I mean!" she said quickly, blushing slightly. It felt like, for a moment, that they were the only two in the room.

The others breathed a collective sigh of relief and they soon dispersed. Penny Ling watched Russell scurry off, likely to complete more tasks he recorded on his checklist. She stood and smiled to herself; it was so odd how the simplest of gestures could brighten up her day.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading!_


	9. Can I Keep Her?

**Can I Keep Her?**

******xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Another Sepper. You guys know me by now. :D_

**xoxoxoxoxox**

He sprinted through the thick foliage, panting heavily and painfully, ignoring the sharp whips and cuts as thin branches struck his drenched skin and fur. He didn't dare stop in fear of them catching up and bringing his short life to a cruel and gruesome end. Where the hell was his friend and partner when he needed him the most?

_If I somehow get out of this mess, I'm going to strangle that fool!_

The terrified mongoose burst into a wide clearing and allowed himself a few precious seconds of rest and a chance to plan his next movements. His body and senses remained alert; his ears swiveled about in a desperate attempt to take in all sounds, his golden eyes were wild and quick, and his nose twitched constantly as it picked up any scent out of the ordinary. For the moment, there was nothing but the feeling of safety and the light perfume of flowers blooming not too far away.

He was safe. For now.

Sunil sank to his knees and sighed in utter relief. _Vinnie, where are you? What are you doing while I'm out here running for my life from these... these..._

_CRACK!_

The fur on the back of his neck stood on end. Something was stalking in the shadows, and the stillness of the air around him told Sunil that whatever it was knew he was onto it. Without a second's hesitation, he made a mad dash down the path in front of him – but something easily whizzed past him and stopped in front of him. He screeched to a stop and yelped as the monster peered back from the darkness, horrible yellow eyes staring right into his own. Adrenaline kicked the mongoose into high gear; if he could not take flight, he would have to stand his ground and fight. Sunil fought back the fear-induced nausea as he hunched his back and flashed his needle-like teeth, hoping against hope that he could somehow intimidate his pursuer into fleeing.

But the monster didn't even flinch as it growled back angrily and started to creep forward.

Heart thundering against his ribcage, Sunil retreated backwards as much as he could until his back legs brushed the rough bark of a tree. He was caught. There was no way he could survive an attack from a savage, bloodthirsty werewolf. The abomination revealed itself in the ghostly moonlight; rough gray fur, razor-sharp fangs, long and flexible tail, and a... flowery scent? His eyes widened in reluctant amazement. It was a skunk, and she had cleverly camouflaged her scent their surroundings to fool him into a false sense of security.

"Argh! Please, stay back! Y-You... monster! You beast!" he screamed, covering his head and closing his eyes tightly. "Back! BACK, I SAY!"

He could hear and smell her foul breath just inches away. He tensed himself for what he knew would be the excruciating bite...

…

Where was the excruciatingly painful bite?

Opening one beady eye, Sunil dared a glance at his predator and nearly fell over from shock. She was sniffing around him curiously, circling him as if she had found some fascinating new chew toy. Sunil gulped and watched her warily, but she made no move to attack him. After looking him over carefully she leaned in, gently touching her wet nose against his nervously twitching one. Sunil shivered at the contact and stared fearfully into her demonic irises, completely at a loss of what to expect next. Was she sizing him up for a proper meal? Did he taste good with hot sauce of something? Oh God, why didn't she just end his torture!?

The skunk-wolf licked his cheek. Sunil screamed and rolled into a cowering ball. But then she barked and wagged her tail, watching him intently and nudging him gently with her fluffy tail. The shivering mongoose looked up at her fearfully and she smiled encouragingly.

"What in the world...?"

"Sunil! SUNIIIILLL!" a heavily armed little lizard yelled unwisely as he walked through the thick fog in search of his best friend. "Talk to me, man! Aw, I hope the little guy's okay. He's a total mess when it comes to things like this. The chicken," he said under his breath with a snorting laugh.

He paused suddenly. A pair of glowing yellow eyes was watching him through the dense fog. Vinnie let out a girlish scream and clutched his own tail in horror.

"AHHH! MOMMY! SUNIL, HELLLLPPP!" he bellowed desperately. He sank to his knees and clasped his long fingers together. "Please don't eat me, werewolves! Lizards aren't tasty, I swear – what the – _Sunil?_"

"Hello again," Sunil smirked, watching with amusement as his companion scrambled to compose himself. "Glad I caught up with you."

"Uh – yeah! Glad I found you," Vinnie said casually with a small cough. He nearly jumped out of his skin again when he saw his who had accompanied Sunil. "DUDE, ARE YOU NUTS? Is that... is she...?

"Yes, she is," Sunil said bashfully, blushing slightly as the "skunk-wolf" wrapped her tail around him and pulled him in for another dog-like kiss. She seemed to understand the situation just fine, but didn't seem to be able to talk very well in her current form. What was clear was that she had taken an unexpected liking to Sunil and she didn't seem to have any plans of leaving side anytime soon.

"A-ha... hey, I was wondering if we could keep her around?" Sunil faltered at the look on Vinnie's face. "Just for a while? Maybe we could get some information with an actual werewolf around?" he offered quickly.

Vinnie gawked at him. "I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the toolbox – "

"You mean 'sharpest tool in the shed' – "

"Whatever!" Sunil snapped, rolling his eyes. "This is a really bad idea! What if she's got friends out there and she's just using you – us – for an easy snack?" he argued, looking around nervously.

"But she'll turn back after the full moon, right?" Sunil reasoned. He gave a fond and gentle pet to their savage little friend and she wagged her tail cheerfully. "Come on, just look at that face. Please? Pretty please with dried flies on top? I'll be your best friend."

"You're already my best friend!" Vinnie said exasperatedly, waving his thin arms about.

Sunil rested his head against the skunk's, the pair giving Vinnie their best puppy-dog pleading eyes. Vinnie winced and shook his head, looking disgusted with himself.

"Fine!" Vinnie snapped, pointing a warning finger at them. "But she better not bite!"

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Another AU drabble! Thanks for reading!_


	10. Celebrity Feud

**Celebrity Feud**

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Alright, I finally got the inspiration to write something for Shahrukh/Madame Pom. I'm pretty sure I'm the first and only one to come up with this ship, but it just makes so much sense to me. But hey, there might be some more fans of this couple out there! Unite, you ShahrukhPommers! :'D_

_**xoxoxoxoxox**_

It was outrageous, simply outrageous!

The ice-blue mongoose folded his arms as he shot visual daggers at the admittedly glamorous Pomeranian. She thought she was so beautiful, so amazing, so awe-inspiring. Where did she get off having such an attitude? That was _his_ job and his job only. It was time to knock that smug look off of her perfectly powdered face.

He hopped down from his custom-made chair and calmly strolled towards her. A large throng of fans were falling all over themselves around her, asking for her paw print autograph and pulling out their cameras for glamor shots. The canine seemed to revel in the attention, posing shamelessly and blowing kisses to her admirers. A few of them were male dogs that swooned and fainted at even the slightest acknowledgment.

_Fools, _Shahrukh thought with disgust, carelessly stepping onto one of the fawning dogs' stomachs. He ignored the whimper of pain as he glared around at all the fanfare. _Fools, every single one of you!_

"O.M.G., it's Shahrukh!" one of the younger girls screamed. Her fellow followers squealed and gathered around him instead. "Shahrukh, we love you! You're so awesome!"

He grinned. Now _this _was the natural order of things.

Shahrukh bowed gracefully and gently kissed the back of one of his fan's hands. She looked about ready to join the charmed dogs lying on the floor. The other girls screamed fanatically and quickly took as many pictures as they could, chanting his name. It was like a beautiful chorus to his ears. He gave them all his best, most dazzling smile and waved at them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the irritated expression of the dog whose thunder he so easily stole. _Perfect._

But all too soon for his liking, security came to usher out the fanatic group. Shahrukh watched in disappointment as his adoring audience was shoved out of the vicinity.

"Quite popular, aren't we?"

He spun around and curled his lip as the little dog delicately padded her way over to him. Now that he got a closer look... she was more gorgeous than he had realized. _Almost_ as gorgeous as he was, even. But he would rather give up his lavish lifestyle than admit to her being anything more than a blight on his existence. Anyone who was that attractive meant trouble.

"Of course I am," he said with an impatient roll of his eyes. "You wouldn't know anything about that. It's nothing new for a star like me."

"Is that right, darling?" she smirked, sitting down beside him. "Oh, but you are right. It's nothing new for us stars, after all. I get this kind of attention all the time."

Shahrukh raised a perfectly shaped brow. "Oh really? And who, if I may be so bold, are you, anyway?"

"Madame Pom, the most famous and well-known pet model in the world," the pretty pet said with complete confidence. She looked him up and down reproachfully. "That is odd. Everyone knows who I am. Have you been living your life under a rock, my dear?" She tutted, giving him a pitying look. "How tragic! Very tragic, indeed!"

He gawked at her. "Excuse me?"

"Goodness! Are you deaf too? I'm quite certain you heard me quite clearly, dear," Madame Pom replied with a knowing grin. "Shall I say it again?"

This – this _Madame Pom_... where in the world did she come from? Never before had someone talked to him like that. Never before had someone had the _gall _to insult him! He gritted his teeth; this pampered pooch was going down.

"Listen, you pompous, over-powdered, preposterous, perfumed – "

"Oh! Looks like the two of you have met! That's great!"

The Australian accent of one of his favorite stylists cut off his tirade. His emerald green eyes glared into her sky blue ones. Madame Pom had begun to growl warningly. The woman bent down to gently pet the two animal celebrities.

"Shahrukh, love, this is Madame Pom. Madame Pom, this is Shahrukh. The two of you are going to look _so_ good together in the new movie!" she said excitedly.

Shahrukh and Madame Pom snapped their heads around, eyes wide.

"New – !" Shahrukh said tremulously.

" – Movie!?" Madame Pom gasped.

Although they knew the young woman couldn't understand them, she seemed to answer their question anyway, "You two look so fantastic. I knew it was a good idea to star you two as the romantic couple. Why, it just seemed to make perfect sense," she said evenly. She got up and gave them a thumbs-up. "Good luck, dears!"

The two pets slumped down numbly, leaning against each other.

This could not be happening.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ I could totally see this happening, ha ha! I really like this ship; arrogant characters seem to be really interesting to pair up and write and draw about, for me. Thanks for reading!_


	11. Guilty Pleasure

**Guilty Pleasure**

******xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ We need more of this ship, mm-kay?_

**xoxoxoxoxox**

Zoe Trent was a good girl. Not just any good girl, but a good girl with class and a beautiful pedigree. A good girl... no, she was a lady. And ladies weren't into rowdy bad boys.

At least, that's what Zoe had always thought.

Ever since her loving owners, John and Clarissa Trent, had taken her in, they had given her everything she had ever desired; toys, designer clothes, delicious high-class food, a stable environment, and, of course, all the love a pet could ever ask for. The least she could do was repay their endless kindness by doing her best in pet pageants and dog shows. These things were something she herself enjoyed as well. Not only did she love the fame and acclaim that came along with it, the proud smiles on her owners' faces filled her with a sense of accomplishment like no other.

Yet...

There had always been this unspoken expectation of her. Someday, they would hope for a beautiful litter of puppies from their beloved pet. This wasn't a surprise; Zoe and her sister, Gail, were purebred King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. Wasn't it only natural for good owners to want offspring from their beloved pet?

Yes, surely, someday Zoe would be introduced to a nice male dog of similar class and encouraged to "get along" with him. She could handle that. She could handle whatever crossed her path. Nothing would stop her from making her owners, her _family_, happy.

Or so she thought.

It all seemed so simple, so straight forward, up until that day _he_ walked into her life.

He was so... different from all the other would-be suitors she had come across before. Well-bred, cultured and handsome dogs had the pleasure of making her acquaintance, and she was certain she'd meet many more yet. All of them had been catches that any girl would have given her right paw for, including herself.

But why, _why _did he turn her head so quickly? What was it about him that made it hard for her to focus on anything but his smile and those deep, mysterious blue eyes?

Ignoring him didn't work. Trying to write him off as beneath her didn't work either. Even just trying to view him as a friend, another regular visitor of Littlest Pet Shop, utterly failed. The purple pooch was absolutely stumped. There was no way she could be so into a dog like him! He was the very opposite of what her owners would want for her, she just knew it.

But dammit, Zoe had it bad. _Real bad_.

She was weak, utterly weak, and she despised that about herself. It made her stomach twist with disgust at how easily it was to break down her walls. After she had let him know about her feelings for him, he had taken control and moved closer to her. Some nights, he would sneak out and tap on her bedroom window, urging her to take a moonlit stroll with her. That mischievous grin and free spirit was so darn contagious, and she found herself breaking all the rules in following her bad boy.

Yes, she was a bad, bad girl. A very bad girl.

Oh, how Zoe wished with all her heart that she could go back to a time when things were simple, when everything was so clear and she knew just what she had to do. Everything now was so complicated; her mind tried to fight her heart with reason, yet her heart refused to listen.

Zoe sighed dreamily, smiling down at the framed picture of her scoundrel of a boyfriend. For now, she would indulge her little guilty pleasure.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ It's such a shame we don't see much Zigby! I think they're incredibly adorable._


	12. Intruder

**Intruder**

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Finally got some more inspiration. I might just start taking small suggestions in a minute, so don't be afraid to ask away. :'D_

_This one is VinnieLing again!_

_Oh, and this is more of an alternate-universe one. You'll occasionally see those! Blame VanillaShy. :'3_

**xoxoxoxoxox**

She inhaled the gentle, strangely intoxicating scent of the blossoming flowers and fresh grass. As she exhaled, a small and content smile graced her sweet features. There was nothing like taking a walk by oneself, just to get away from all the hustle and bustle that came along with being a part of a royal family.

The young princess let out a wistful sigh, twirling her matching gold and yellow-green umbrella. She watched as a few pink cherry blossom petals fluttered down like little snowflakes in front of her. How she wished her own existence could be so simple, so undisturbed.

_Father just won't listen to me, _she thought miserably with a defeated and pouty huff. _He absolutely refuses to hear my take on things. All of those suitors... I'm just not ready for anything like that. Can't I enjoy my youth in peace while it lasts?_

As Penny Ling came upon the small bridge above an oasis that lead to her personal gardens, she spotted a small, curious shadow in the middle of the walkway. As she stared, it became larger and larger by the second – something was falling! Alarmed, the panda jumped back immediately and looked up at the sky. A dark figure was hurtling right towards her.

Her heart beat violently against her ribcage, her breath growing shallow and short. Was this an assassination attempt? What in the world was going on!

"HA! Prepare yourself, purple panda! I, Vinnie, will – _oh boy_ – !"

The alarming figure fell face-first onto the hard wooden surface of the bridge with a painful _crunch! _Penny Ling screamed in terror and held out her umbrella, as if she stood a chance of deflecting any attacks with it. Trembling, the royal took a few steps back, scanning the area for any of his companions.

"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?" Penny Ling shot at him frantically, trying to calm her quivering voice. _Why is this even happening to me?!_

The intruder shakily pulled himself up, rubbing the front of his face gingerly. "Oh man, that was bad... Oh! Uh, I've come to assassinate you! For the honor of my ninja clan, I-" He stopped, his orb-like purple eyes surveying their surroundings curiously. "Wait... this is Japan, right?"

Penny Ling slowly lowered her "shield." Now that she had a chance to properly take in his appearance, he was quite clearly a ninja – wait, a ninja? What was a ninja doing all the way in China?

"N-No... this is China," she answered suspiciously. "Isn't Japan overseas?"

An awkward silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of a laughing cricket.

…

"DANG IT! I can't believe I turned a wrong turn! _Again!_" the would-be assassin wailed, dropping to his knees dramatically and bonking himself repeatedly on the head as if to punish himself. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid_! I should have known that lake was _way_ too big..."

Penny Ling watched in bewilderment as the little guy continued with his self-served beating. Tentatively, she crept closer. As she approached him, she could make out lime green skin underneath the black stitches of clothing. And was that a long, scaly tail? He was definitely some type of lizard. She watched in amazement as the foreigner straightened himself up, still looking a bit embarrassed.

"Ha ha... wow. This is totally awkward," he said, rubbing the back of his aching head. "Sorry about all that. You wouldn't happen to know how to get back to Japan, would ya?"

Penny Ling shook her head, fighting an amused smile. "Not really, no."

"Oh," Vinnie sighed, slacking his shoulders. "Great. Just great."

Penny Ling circled him, watching him. Her fear was now replaced with a fresh wave of innocent curiosity. "I've never seen someone like you before..."

"You mean someone so stupid?" he said dryly, looking down shamefully. "Yeah, it's pretty hard to beat me at that."

Penny Ling gently took his head in her little paws and turned him to face her. His light violet eyes widened and she just caught the hint of a blush on the skin just below them.

Her would-be killed was actually kind of cute.

"Not at all. I meant that I've never seen someone so... different. But in a good way," the panda added quickly, not wanting to offend him anymore than she might have already. "No one would ever have the courage to just jump inside the royal garden like you did. That's gotta take some courage, right?"

Vinnie pulled away shyly. "Ah, you're just being too nice. Say, what's your name, anyway?"

"Penny Ling. Princess," she replied kindly. "And you're Vinnie the ninja."

"Woah, a princess!?" choked Vinnie, flabbergasted. He bowed down in front of her, which somehow made her uncomfortable. She had been enjoying how easy and normal their conversation had been. Like the fact that she was a royal did not matter. "Sorry your princess-ship. Y-You're not gonna behead me, are ya?" he asked warily.

"Of course not. This can be our little secret," Penny Ling giggled, patting his head reassuringly.

He reached up and gently took her paw, pulling down his mask and bestowing a light kiss on the back of it. Penny Ling paused, her heart skipping a beat. Warmth flooded her cheeks. Vinnie looked up to meet her gaze and gave her a roguish grin.

"That's really cool of you. I'll be seeing you around, Princess."

With a cheeky wink, he slipped away, much more quietly than he had appeared. Penny Ling was, once again, left alone with the calming and serene sounds of her garden. The panda princess stumbled slightly and rested against the scented oak of a tree, a charmed smile gracing her features.

"_Vinnie..._"

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ I could totally see some alt-universe like that, for some reason. XD_

_Thanks for reading!_


	13. Lighten Up

**Lighten Up**

******xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ FINALLY a Russinka that I was proud of enough to keep. It's one of my favorite ships ever, yet I find it so hard to write about. X'D_

_Also a gift to one of my buds, VanillaShy. :D_

**xoxoxoxoxox**

Her eyes sparkled longingly at the beautiful sight of her birthday cake. Her very best friends were all gathered around, happily singing the classic birthday song just for her. Minka couldn't hide the huge grin on her face. Was it possible for one to be so happy?

"_Happy birthday, dear Minka... happy birthday to you!"_ her friends finished, cheering and clapping.

Zoe held out a paw, flipping back her violet and bubblegum pink curls. "_And to many more, oh, many, many more, happy days to come~!"_ she interjected proudly. The others simply stared at her exasperatedly. The little dog huffed. "What!"

Minka clapped her hands merrily. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best party ever! You all are the best friends a monkey could ever as for."

"You deserve the best, Minka," said Sunil with a smile.

"Absolutely," Pepper agreed, winking at her pink friend.

"Now make a wish, Minka!" Penny Ling said eagerly, eying the large cake hungrily.

Minka sat back and pondered on what she wanted most that year. After a few seconds, she decided on a wish. Taking a deep breath, she leaned closer to the lit candles and –

_SPLAT!_

Suddenly, the whole table, pets and cake were covered in a foamy white substance. Minka coughed and sputtered, shaking her head in an attempt to rid herself of the bad-tasting stuff. Once those assembled had recovered from the shock, they all made pointed glares at none other than Russell Ferguson. The hedgehog held a fire extinguisher and an unapologetic look on his face.

"_RUSSELL!_"

He blinked obliviously. "What? It was for your own good!"

Pepper rolled her eyes, flicking some of the agent off of her tail. "Oh, right. Ruining birthday parties is totally for our own good. _Totally_," she said, voice dripping in sarcasm.

Russell blushed, looking away guiltily. "Those candles were a fire hazard! What if one fell and the whole place went up in flames? What then?" he attempted to argue. But this only served to annoy his friends more.

"Honestly!" Zoe scoffed, looking distraught over the condition of her hair. "You need to stop all that nonsense! Just look at my hair! It'll take forever to get it back to normal!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Vinnie said indignantly.

Penny Ling raised a brow. "But Vinnie, you don't really have hair."

"Oh, right. Well, she still has a point! I'm gonna start calling you _'Seriussell'_ from now on," Vinnie went on, shaking his head disapprovingly. "You need to chill out, bro."

"I must agree. Your behavior was totally unacceptable," Sunil said irritably, shaking his fur in an attempt to rid it of the irritating foam.

Russell's eyes widened in hurt. "B-But – !"

"Look what you've done to the cake, Russell!" Penny Ling cried, holding up the pitifully ruined dessert. "I was so looking forward to it, too..." she sniffled sadly.

"Guys, I -" Russell tried to explain.

"No excuses," Zoe snapped, glaring at him. "This was Minka's third birthday and all you could think of was ruining it with your – your – _paranoia!_" Russel gulped and looked down at his feet, defeated. Zoe turned and snapped her tail in a final sort of way. "Come along everyone. Let's see if we can get Mrs. Twombly to find another cake."

Pepper, Sunil, Penny Ling and Vinnie nodded their agreement and, with another scowl towards Russell, followed the little pooch out through the doggy door. Russell slunk down to the ground, miserable and deeply regretting his actions. Minka walked over to him, concerned.

"Don't be sad, Russell," said the cotton-candy pink monkey, patting his shoulder soothingly.

"It's okay, Minka. You don't have to try and make me feel better," Russell mumbled. He glanced up at her; flecks of retardant were still clinging to her bouncy pigtails. "Ugh. I'm so sorry, Minka. I was totally out of line," Russel started, hoping that she could find it in her heart to forgive him for ruining what was supposed to be a wonderful day for them all.

It was and never would be his intention to hurt Minka, especially on a day that was all about appreciating her. But something in him just yearned to protect her, even if, in reality, there was no danger! When he saw the flickering lights of the candles, his thought pattern automatically jumped to the worse, if totally unlikely, situation; that Minka would lean in too far and stumble into one of the tiny flames. Or even worse, knock one over and put herself and everyone else in danger.

In hindsight, Russell couldn't help but be disgusted with himself. Had he really flipped out over something so silly?

She sat down beside him and coiled her tail around him. He blushed slightly, shyly looking up at her; what he expected was anger, sadness, or even plain old disappointment. But all he found in her eyes were understanding and forgiveness.

"You're... not mad at me?" said Russell hesitantly.

"Of course I'm not mad! Why would I be? You were just trying to save me from those evil candle lights!" Minka said animatedly. Russell, for a moment, wondered if she was ridiculing him. But then, that wasn't Minka's style at all. No, she was trying to get him to lighten up, surely. And this touched him.

Russell chuckled. "You're a nut, you know that?"

"Is that a bad thing?" she grinned.

He rested his head carefully on her shoulder, smiling up at her. "Not at all."

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Russell's such a paranoid little thing, but that's so cute! I think Minka would always find a way to make him feel better. :'D_


	14. Pep Talk

**Pep Talk**

******xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Another Peppunil. Of course!_

_Partly working off of the episode "Penny For Your Laughs!"_

**xoxoxoxoxox**

Sunil pinched his nose and waved at the greenish, smelly fog polluting the air. Something was definitely bothering the resident skunk of the shop, and he knew exactly what it was; Pepper hadn't intended to, but she had greatly hurt Penny Ling, the oversensitive panda. No matter what she attempted to make it up to her friend, Penny Ling wasn't consoled and continued to cry.

Now the little comedian sat in self-imposed isolation in a corner. If only the stench would stay there too!

"Oh man, it _reeks_," Vinnie coughed, bulbous eyes watering from the pungent fumes.

"Agreed. Pepper's definitely feeling bad about this whole mess," Russell replied in a muffled voice, having had curled up in a tight ball in an attempt block out the smell. "Perhaps someone should talk to her?"

Minka, being one of the more creative members of the group, had come up with the idea of fetching a large fan and letting turning it up to full strength in an attempt to blow away Pepper's scent. Her friends looked relieved as the air around them became a little more tolerable. Even Russell uncurled to give the monkey a thankful smile.

"Very good idea, Minka," praised the hedgehog. Minka returned his smile with a cheerful one of her own. "So, who wants to go talk to her?"

"Ugh, not me," Vinnie said, shaking his head stubbornly.

Russell shot him a look. "Vinnie! Don't be so insensitive. She's our friend too."

"What? I didn't mean it like _that! _It's not that I don't wanna help her out," replied Vinnie defensively, folding his arms. "It's just that she stinks to high heaven right now!"

Zoe rolled her eyes at the small gecko and looked at Sunil meaningfully. Her keen sense of potential romance had detected... _something_, from him that had to do with her friend, Pepper. Now was the perfect chance to push – er – help move them in the right direction! With a mischievous smile, she elbowed her blue friend in the ribs. He jumped and yelped, looking at her suspiciously.

"Sunil, why don't you go on over and have a chat with her? Surely you can give her some words of wisdom?" Zoe said encouragingly, tilting her head in Pepper's direction.

Sunil bit his lip as he looked at the sad form of his skunk friend. "Oh! Well, I'd love to, but – um, well, I'm not so sure I'd be of any help..." he stammered.

Why was Zoe insisting _he _go over there and talk to Pepper? Why him, out of everyone else? It couldn't be for any particular reason... could it?

Zoe tutted and gave him a small push. "Don't be so shy. Go on, go on!"

"Oof! O-Okay, okay, I'm going!" Sunil protested, glaring at the pushy dog. The others looked on and nodded their encouragement. There no backing out now. "Ahem. Y-Yes... I will talk to her..." he said with wavering confidence, slowly making his way over to the smelliest section of the play area. "Oh boy..."

Inhaling, the mongoose told himself that there was nothing to be nervous about. What she needed was a friend right now, and he was obligated to be there for her. No matter how nervous he was.

"Pepper? Can we talk?"

The skunk lifted her head slightly, sad rose-colored eyes turning to him. "Who? Me?"

"There's only one Pepper here," Sunil chuckled. He gagged slightly as a fresh wave of green smoke assailed his senses, but he managed to not let on to the saddened girl before him. Eyes watering, he sat down next to her and put a kind paw on the small of her back. "Still feeling bad about Penny Ling, I assume?"

"Yeah," Pepper sighed, looking remorsefully at the equally depressed panda. "You gotta believe me; I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings. I just wanted to be funny, for once..."

Sunil smiled. "I know hurting anyone wasn't your attention, Pepper. And you're always funny -"

"Sunil, be real with me. No one laughed at my pudding gags. Not even a giggle."

Sunil swallowed, going red in the face. He was hoping she'd forget about that, even if it just happened that day.

"I know, but that was only because it was overused! That doesn't mean you're not funny!" he insisted.

Pepper shook her head, resting her head on her forearms again. "You're just being nice. Whether it was funny or not, I might end up losing one of my best friends forever because I went too far just to get a laugh."

The mongoose gently took her chin between his fingers, meeting her gaze. Pepper's eyes widened at the rather bold move, but she made no attempt to stop him.

"All you have to do is make her realize that you're still her friend with good intentions at heart. I'll even help you," said Sunil, giving her a thumbs up. "I know you can do it."

"You really think so?" Pepper smiled.

"I know so."

Spirits greatly lifted, the girl happily shot to her feet and pulled the mongoose in for a big, warm hug. The persistent foul odor was replaced with the light perfume of roses. Sunil froze as her arms encircled him and pulled him close; his banded tail straightened in surprise, his gold eyes widened and a warm, red tint painted his face.

"Thanks Sunil! You're the best." Pepper grinned, letting him go as quickly as she had initiated the hug. "Make sure to tell Russell and Vinnie they're going to be in on it too!" And with that, she zipped over to her large box of comedy items. Sunil stood in a daze, swaying slightly as he watched her dig through the mountain of props.

_She hugged me... she just hugged me... she really, seriously just hugged me..._

This mental mantra was only interrupted by the light tap on his shoulder by Russell. The short hedgehog was smiling knowingly.

"So, I assume everything went well?"

"Huh? Oh – yes! Very well!" replied Sunil, smiling nervously. He composed himself quickly and gave both of his friends a pointed look. "And since you all are so worried about her, you're going to help me with whatever she wants us to do."

Vinnie gulped. "Does it involve juggling?"

"Probably," Sunil smirked.

Russell and Vinnie cringed. "Aw man..."

**xoxoxoxoxox**

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading! You all know I can't stay away from my OTP for long._

_I am taking suggestions; doesn't mean I will write/draw it, but I'm open to your ideas._


	15. Assistant

**Assistant**

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_Author's Note:__ This one is something for the shipping Sunil/Penny Ling – what would their ship name combination even be?_

_I don't ship this one at all either; I love her with Vinnie, think her and Russell paired together is kinda cute, but Sunil's dead last and I can't see it seriously working out for some reason. Or even really going anywhere besides a naive crush. Ah well, blue and purple is cute and kinda reminds me of Simonette, so I thought I'd write something for them._

xoxoxoxoxox

"Are you sure about this, Penny Ling? You know what happened last time, don't you?" Sunil asked nervously, glancing at the eager panda over the brim of his top hat. Normally, he'd be thrilled to have someone actually volunteer, rather than him having to drag them over to participate. But ever since he'd magically made her disappear, Penny Ling seemed convinced he was the next Houdini. Where she got this idea, he didn't know. Small miracles could happen, after all. "I mean, I think we've been pretty lucky so far. I usually end up burning off someone's eyebrows..."

"Yes, Sunil. It's okay! I have complete faith in your abilities," Penny Ling insisted. Sunil continued to look at her doubtfully, as if he thought she was messing with him somehow. But then, he never knew her to be anything less than sweetly genuine.

"That may be, but you don't _have_ to help. I tend to... um... blow things up if I mess up the magic words. And I have to admit, it happens more often than not," he confessed with a sigh. "I don't want you getting hurt. Or crying," he added nervously. "Definitely no crying."

Penny Ling blushed. "I won't! Besides, I think I might be your good luck charm."

"What? Good luck charm?" Sunil replied, perplexed. "Why gave you that idea? Look, just because it worked that _one_ time, doesn't mean it will always go so smoothly. It was just a coincidence."

"Don't be so modest, Sunil. You're a great magician! You just have to have a little faith," Penny Ling said, and Sunil couldn't help but think, maybe, she really did believe in him. "Okay, maybe I'm not a good luck charm. But I do think we can make a really good team..." Her voice trailed off and she poked her forefingers together shyly. "If that's okay."

Sunil looked down at his hat. "I don't know..."

"Please, Sunil? Let's just try?" she pleaded. She placed her paws over his writhing ones and gazed hopefully at him with those big, sparkling lavender eyes of hers that made it hard to object. "Pretty please? With bamboo on top? I'm sure nothing bad will happen!"

_That's exactly what I'm afraid of, _Sunil thought to himself. _It's one thing for me to get hurt – that happens all the time – but I can't forgive myself if I hurt someone like her..._

"You're _sure_ you won't cry?" Sunil tried again, hoping she'd just take the hint and leave him in peace. "Really, I can always practice on – "

"I promise I won't get in the way," Penny Ling said, surprisingly relentless. "Cross my heart."

"Fine!" Sunil snapped. He was beginning to be such a soft touch, and it sickened him. "But don't blame me if anything happens."

Penny Ling beamed. "I won't. I'll be your lovely assistant."

Sunil paused. "W-Who said you were lovely?"

"You don't think so?" she said, looking hurt.

"What? No!" Sunil blabbered, shaking his head. "You are! It's just that – "

"I'm just messing with you," Penny Ling teased, giggling. "Let the magic begin!"

xoxoxoxoxox

_Author's Note:__ I really like how this could be seen as just a really cute, platonic friendship ficlet as well. Kinda fun writing them out this time around!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	16. Dress Up

**Dress Up**

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_Author's Note:__ This is probably the only fandom where a few slash ships have somewhat caught my attention, or at least made a little bit of a sense to me. I'm still not a fan, but you'll see the very rare drabble with a slash pairing, though most of these could easily be considered a friendship ficlet, really._

_This one is Zoe/Penny Ling. I dunno, I think it's mostly all that purple that draws me to this pairing. But I actually love these two as friends, so it was kinda interesting trying to write them as something more than that._

xoxoxoxoxox

With a slow twirl, the glittery folds of her new dress seemed to twinkle almost as brightly as the eyes of the one who gave it to her. Her "audience" cheered, clapped, and made a show of swooning and fanning herself. As much as Penny Ling wanted to point out how silly the fan fare was, she couldn't fight the big smile and blush. She loved the attention, really.

"Zoe, stop it," she said with a laugh, shaking her head. "I don't look that good in this, do I?"

"Darling, you look like a princess," smiled Zoe, taking her paw and looking at her as if she were truly in the presence of royalty.

This only made the panda's cheeks go an even deeper violet; Zoe had a way of getting to her without even trying.

"A princess? Really, Zoe?" replied Penny Ling doubtfully. She knew she was adorable, but Zoe had to be exaggerating. Sometimes, she wondered if Zoe was over-the-top on purpose, maybe being a bit sarcastic. "You don't have to go that far."

Zoe frowned, and Penny Ling immediately wanted to take back her words. In the short time they had been going out – no, even when they were just friends – Zoe had been nothing short of genuine and kind to her. If there was anyone she knew she could trust and be sure had her best interests at heart, it was her.

"I'm sorry," Penny Ling said regretfully, looking down at the hem of her dress in shame. "You got me such a nice gift, and I..."

Warm, soft paws gently cupped both sides of her face, steering her closer to those beautiful, baby blue eyes of hers. Penny Ling gulped and tried not to look too captivated by them, but she knew it was useless. Those eyes did things to her that she couldn't quite comprehend.

"You're right, sweetheart. I meant to say that you looked like a queen. Forgive me for the mix-up, darling."

Heart pounding and trying to fight a very persistent blush, Penny Ling pulled away and giggled nervously. If there was a good comeback, she couldn't find one. Again, Zoe had managed to leave her pleasantly speechless. And Zoe Trent knew this, if that wide, mischievous grin was any indication.

"You make me sick sometimes," said Penny Ling smiled, trying to give a convincing pout.

But Zoe knew she had gotten to her. She grinned and winked at her.

"Love you too, sweetheart." She turned and ruffled through another shopping bag. There was so much more to go through. "Now, let's find another one. This pink would look absolutely stunning on you..."

xoxoxoxoxox

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading! I might write more for this ship every once in a while. It's a good one for fluff._


	17. Messy

**Mess**

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_Author's Note:__ Alright, another rare slash drabble. This one is Russell/Sunil; I tend to try and give the lesser-loved slash ships some love whenever I happen to be interested enough to write about them. If I was forced to pick between Russell going with either Sunil or Vinnie, it'd be Vinnie. I honestly don't see anything all that interesting happening with Russell and Sunil, but it's an unexplored shipping and it can be fun to play around with every blue moon._

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"Just look at this mess... a great, big, tangled mess..."

Indeed it was. But it was a different mess – one that couldn't be fixed with any amount of cleaning agents or scrubbing tools.

If there was one thing that really got his spines rustling, it was a carefully thought-out plan _not going_ according to plan. Okay, if he was honest, he found himself in that situation a lot nowadays. Maybe, just _maybe_, his bright ideas weren't always so bright. No big deal. Even a genius such as himself couldn't be right all the time.

So, maybe a failed plan wasn't so bad. There were worse things, he eventually realized.

For example, something else had rudely elbowed his greatest annoyance out of the way and firmly claimed the top spot. That annoying feeling by the name of Indecision. In a perfect world, picking option A or option B should have been easy enough, or at least pretty obvious with a bit of intelligent reasoning and a dash of common sense. But this world was far from perfect, and no matter how much Russell yearned for an easy answer to his predicament, there were none. The outcome heart desired would undoubtedly come at a price, but he didn't want to pay it. Actually, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be hurting two valued friends if he wasn't extremely careful from now on.

And it was all Sunil's fault.

This whole fiasco started about a month ago; Vinnie and Sunil being the usual dorky partners in crime, with Russell being the usual voice of reason for them as well as the rest of their friends. See, he had noticed that a _thing_ was developing between the two of them. He had had no plans of bringing up this discovery to them, but he was sure it was something more than a simple "bromance". Oh yes, sometimes it was hard to resist blurting out how obvious the pair were being at times, but he knew that this was something they'd have to work out in their own time, in their own way. As much as he wanted to help his best friends, an expert in love matters he was not.

Turns out, he would be dragged into their complicated affairs whether he liked it or not.

It was a normal day, at least for Russell. He was doing his normal patrols of the play area, making sure everything was anti-hazardous and in their proper places. Then Sunil had asked for a private word with him. Nothing concerning; Sunil was always fretting or worrying about some small matter that was easily overcome in the end. Russell briefly wondered if Sunil wanted to tell him about his feelings for Vinnie and was seeking his blessing or something.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Well, Sunil did express how things were changing between him and Vinnie, and how Vinnie obviously wanted their relationship to be taken more seriously. _Good for him_, Russell had thought, and he made sure to let Sunil know just how great it was and how he wished them both the best.

He was being the good friend they needed, right? Obviously not, because Sunil fixed him with a sad stare, like Russell wasn't getting it. Like it hurt him deeply that he was missing something in his tone. A vital hint. Russell took a step back cautiously, glancing around the area to be sure they weren't being watched. Looking back on it, he should have just ended the conversation there and went on about his business.

"This _is_ a good thing, right?" Russell had said uncomfortably. "You like him, he likes you. What more is there to say, Sunil?"

Sunil just gave him a small smile. "It's not so simple when you have someone else in mind already, is it?"

Russell was no idiot. But he didn't know what to say, how to react. There was something very wrong with this. He had to play it smoothly, calmly, maturely. Let him down easy, as they say.

But he ended up just gawking up at Sunil, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. His clipboard fell from his paralyzed little paws. _So much for being smooth_, Russell thought with a cringe. _What do I know about that, anyway._

A part of him wanted to believe that this was all a joke, some stupidly cruel prank concocted by Sunil and Vinnie to get a rise out of him. They were weird like that. He would just chew them out and make it clear to never, _ever_ do something so idiotic again in the future. But the desperate look in Sunil's eyes made it all too clear that this was all too real. The feelings he should have had for Vinnie were instead directed at Russell.

And it was all wrong. Totally wrong.

Before Russell could retrieve his jaw off the floor and talk some sense into Sunil, Sunil leaned in and... and...

Russell wanted to shove him away, to tell him that this could never happen, that them hurting Vinnie – intentional or not – was completely out of the question. But a bigger part of him, one that he struggled to snuff out, sparked at the contact and fueled his decision to return it. A warmth spread through his body as he closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment of sweet bliss.

Then rationality kicked him hard and forced him to break the connection. Sunil didn't object, though he looked reluctant to stop. Sparing a nervous glance at each other, they simply walked away. There was nothing to talk about. A fluke, that's what had happened. Sunil and Russell would treat it as some silly mistake and go on with their lives; Sunil would go back to Vinnie and take it to the next level, and the relationship between him and Russell would remain a platonic one.

Easy. Simple. Right.

But it was too late. There was no going back now.

The secret glances, secret smiles, secret touches... As time went on, there seemed to be no shortage of secrets the two of them started to keep. But Russell hated these secrets, these things he had to bottle up inside him, despite his morals screaming at him to quit. Vinnie was bound to find out. It wasn't like they were cheating, technically, but the fact that Sunil seemed unwilling to pick a side – pick one of _them_ – disgusted Russell and made him feel dirty and selfish. This anger and disgust would help Russell see that they had to stop, and that meant coming clean and ending things right.

But every time he'd see Vinnie's bright and unsuspecting smile, the bravery drained out of him entirely. He'd be crushed.

He blamed Sunil for this; he was happy to go back and forth between them, a happy pendulum. Russell hated him for making it so hard to pull away, hard for him to do the right thing and tell the truth to the one they were wronging. He hated him for making things so complicated and blurred, for pulling him out of his comfort zone he was happy to stay in. He'd give anything to undo that one kiss. Even if it meant keeping his crush on Sunil a secret for the rest of life, at least things wouldn't be so confusing.

Sunil had made one hell of a mess, and for once, Russell didn't think he'd ever be able to make it completely clean again.

xoxoxoxoxox

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading!_


	18. Excuses

**Excuses**

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_Author's Note:__ This one is Vinnie/Russell. I really like the colors of this ship... that's mostly why I was interested. I know, I know, it's so shallow! XD_

_But, if there was ever a time where I was forced to pick a M/M pairing out of the whole show, it'd be this one. Nowhere near liking this shipping, but it's something. I kinda like the idea of them having a love-hate friendship, or a relationship in a different case._

xoxoxoxoxox

"Hey, Rusty. Move on over, would ya? I'm freezing my tail off here."

The tangerine hedgehog slowly lifted his head, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. A blurred blob of lime green let him know that it could only be Vinnie rudely intruding on his nap time. He made a show of rolling his eyes and turning his back to him without a word.

"I know you heard me. Rusty! Rustyyyyy!"

"Stop calling me that," Russell grumbled, scowling slightly. "Vinnie, I'm trying to get some sleep. I was up all night because of that snowstorm yesterday. I'm not really in the mood for your nonsense right now, okay? Now go away!"

Mercifully, Vinnie didn't protest further. For once, he seemed to understand that Russell didn't want to be bothered. Maybe he was finally getting something through that numbskull after all.

Nope. Not even close.

The gecko simply made himself nice and cozy and warm right next to him, nuzzled contentedly at his side. Russell arched his back and purposefully pricked him in the side, making Vinnie yelp and wiggle. Russell sat up and fixed him with a glare, his whole being silently willing the bothersome lizard to leave him alone. But Vinnie just grinned at him sheepishly, like a troublesome little boy.

"Uh, my bad. Hope you don't mind much. I'm just a little cold. You know, because I'm _cold-blooded_. And you're warm-blooded..." Vinnie went on, quickly losing steam at the sight of Russell's agitated expression. He whistled, looking elsewhere. "So... yeah."

"You've got to be kidding me," Russell grumbled with a shake of his head. "What about Penny Ling? Or Sunil? Or... anyone else!" he said exasperatedly, hoping he would buzz off and pester someone else. Why did it always have to be him, anyway?

Vinnie grinned, winking. "Why not you?"

"B-Because – !" Russell blurted out, racking his brain for a good reason why Vinnie should sleep elsewhere. But now that he was confronted with the idea, he really couldn't think of any. He actually wouldn't mind that much. But that didn't mean Vinnie had to know that. "That's because... because..."

"Because?" urged Vinnie, grinning even wider. When Russell grew quiet, he laughed. "Just admit you want me to stay, Rusty. I know you want me to."

Russell blushed and folded his arms. "Fine. But only for a little bit. And only for today! You hear me?"

Vinnie curled up beside him, soaking in the warmth from his huffy friend. Russell tried not to look so relaxed about it, but he was failing in the cutest way. Vinnie laughed and bumped shoulders with him playfully. He had to admit, he loved how uptight he could get; it just made it all the more fun getting him to unwind.

"That's what you always say, dude. And you'll say it tomorrow too, when I try this again," snickered Vinnie. "You're cute when you're all pouty, you know that?"

"Just shut up, Vinnie," Russell smirked, folding his arms. "Just shut up."

xoxoxoxoxox

_Author's Note:__ Russell just can't win in these things. XD_


	19. Toss

**Toss**

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_Author's Note:__ I need to catch up on my Russell/Minka drabbles. :D_

xoxoxoxoxox

Large green eyes watched with a somewhat reluctant fascination as the little pink monkey effortlessly flicked up the small snack and caught it on her tongue. She closed her eyes with relish and crunched on the tasty treat, the tip of tail wagging back and forth happily. He returned his eyes to his checklist quickly when their eyes suddenly met. Had she seen him watching her all this time?

Minka didn't seem to take any notice of her spiky friend as she dipped her arm back into the large box of animal treats and fished up another handful of banana-shaped cookies. She sat down again with a hungry smile.

"Minka, you shouldn't eat too many of those. You'll get a stomach ache," Russell warned her, tapping the end of his pencil against his lip nervously. He inwardly scolded himself; why was he acting like a naggy caretaker, all of a sudden? "I-I mean... I wouldn't want you to get sick, is all..." he mumbled in embarrassment.

Her blue eyes twinkled merrily as she turned to him. "Aw, don't worry, Russell! I won't."

He coughed. "Oh. Well, good. Just making sure..."

Minka winked and tossed up another morsel, doing an impressive back flip and catching it in her mouth before merrily munching away again. Russell, once again, found himself watching her in fascination. Despite being one of the more energetic pets he had ever seen, she was remarkably graceful, flexible, and athletic. He supposed he should expect that from a monkey such as herself, but it was still amazing nonetheless.

"How do you do that?" Russell found himself asking, a slip of admiration in his voice.

Minka looked over at him. "Hm? Do what, Russell?"

"Y-You know... toss it up and catch it like that," Russell replied, pointing with his pencil at the treats in her paw.

"Oh!" Minka giggled, hopping over to him. "That's easy-peasy! Just throw it up, guess where it's gonna land, and enjoy! I've been doing that since I was an itty-bitty monkey! It's super easy! Wanna give it a try?" she asked brightly, holding out a treat.

Russell blushed and hesitated. "Uh, no, I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm not that good at that sorta thing," he said bashfully.

Minka grinned at him, gently taking his arm. "Don't be shy. Come on, you'll do great."

"Well..." Russell couldn't help but smile. Her smile just did something to him – made him want to try things outside of his little safety bubble. "Alright. I suppose there's no harm."

"That's the spirit!" Minka said cheerfully. She ruffled inside the snack box and pulled out his favorite; a triangular-shaped shortbread hedgehog treat. She walked back over to him, grinning as she placed it in his little orange paw. "Go for it, Russell! You can do it!"

The hedgehog gulped. "Okay..."

He threw the little cookie up into the air, watching it sail upwards and slow at its highest point before hurtling back down. He backed up quickly, his mouth wide open –

WHAM!

Russell's eyes watered and his teeth clenched shut as his back slammed painfully into the wall. The airborne treat smacked anti-climatically against his forehead and he slumped down into a painful heap. Minka gasped and quickly rushed to his side.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she said, concern thick in her expression and tone.

Russell groaned as he rubbed his back tenderly, feeling the absence of a few spines that had embedded themselves in the wall. "Urgh... yes, I'm fine. Told you I wasn't very good at this kind of thing..." he sighed.

"No way! You just need a little practice," Minka said easily, waving off the embarrassing incident like it was nothing. "I was loads worse, trust me. Come on! You can watch me! You'll be a good snack-catcher... uh, person, in no time!" Minka bounced, giving him a confident smile. "Whaddaya say?"

Russell grinned, laughing. "Alright. I'll take you up on that."

With that, the little hedgehog followed his simian companion and spent the rest of the afternoon watching and copying her movements. The rest of the pets watched and giggled; it wasn't everyday their little leader let himself go and try to unsuccessfully catch flying cookies, after all. It was a nice change.

xoxoxoxoxox

_Author's Note:__ Thanks for reading!_


End file.
